Wright State aims to make skies safe from drones

As the number of small drones flying dangerously close to manned aircraft has soared dramatically this year, Wright State University Research Institute announced Thursday it will roll out a website and smartphone app to make ever more crowded skies safer.

Drone operators would voluntarily upload flight route or areas to a smart phone app or online at www.GoFlyZone.org, which would alert users to any conflicts with restricted flight areas or other users who have filed flight plans within the same system, said Bruce Preiss, a WSRI lead research engineer. Read more (subscription required) >>

Wright State Research Institute is spinning off a new company around a technology that hopes to create an air traffic control system for drones.

The institute, part of Wright State University, is developing a new system designed to be a traffic management tool for drone users of all kinds — allowing them to plot courses for their craft that stop them from flying in restricted areas, avoid bad weather and risky collisions with other aircraft. Read more >>